About those fortunes ..

A couple of nights ago we choose Chinese food .. of course we have to do fortune cookies .. here was mine. I have always  believed that for every moment of unhappiness, you will receive twice the happiness .. so I think this fortune must be correct.. because, baby, I am due!!
This will be the last post for Wait4thenews. To stay with the theme of new beginnings, I think it is apropos to start a new blog.
Wait4thenews was encouraged by Tommie while we were all living in Texas .. it has been so much fun to write and participate with the meme’s, that I would like to do much of the same in my new blog, but with a new name. Also, this time around, I would like to have more honest conversation .. while still having lots of fun.
Thank you for visiting. I hope you have enjoyed this blog as much as I have enjoyed creating it. Hope to see you at my next posting at my new home! (bring some wine!)

A different story ..

 

Last week I had the honor of attending a soldier’s funeral. It was my first military funeral. I didn’t know the soldier; all I know was that he was 27 and lost his life in Afghanistan. He was married for 5 months, and had a son from a previous relationship who was very young.

Moon over Texas

 

Last week the moon was huge as it was coming up .. I couldn’t resist going crazy with the Rebel and just taking pictures. I was once told that no matter how far apart you are from someone, all you have to do is look at the moon; since it is the same moon that they are looking at too.

Thursday 13 - 13 Reasons to Run again!

Happy Thursday …

So .. lately I have been on a non running streak .. kind of like having a blog block .. so for tonight’s Thursday 13 tradition .. pondering on what list needs to be created .. I thought it may be motivating to find 13 reasons to get back on track …. so, here it goes …

1. New running shoes: nothing feels better than a new pair of shoes
2. “I eat to run, and run to eat” ……  I love to eat … all day long .. no running means no eating??!!
3. Is that why I am feeling pudgy? …. ya, I’m not too happy about that!
4. I need to be able to answer “YES” when I get asked “Did you run today?”    (…..YES .. I ran today!!)
5. These are the last few weeks in Maine … go and run those hills .. we all know Texas has none!
6. I love smelling the lilacs this time of year
7. Get training for the half marathon ~ ambitious goal: Rock ‘n Roll in San Antonio in November
8. You just never know who you’ll meet running down the street .. or the sights that you see ..
9. ahhhh yes … the pain .. in the hips, knees .. I run for the pain …NOT ! (oops, this was a motivational list!)
10. My music … although I need to change it up again .. some of Noah’s music is getting a little too loud for me ..
11. That sense of accomplishment after a long run .. I need to feel that again.
12. Alone time
13. Nothing is more freeing then to step out of the house, knowing you’re running .. and not knowing where you are going, or how long you’ll run for … just ‘going for a run’

Thursday 13 .. Thirteen Things in May

The last Thursday of the month ..thirteen things in May, stolen in it's original form from Janet at T13 .. here we go:

1. Picture of: Boothbay Harbor



Aletta took this picture while we were in Boothbay Harbor .. isn't she just awesome?



2. Current Scent: I'm not a big perfumey person .. (although I love a well scented man!) .. so I rarely wear perfume .. maybe a spritz of China Blossom from Bath and Body ..



3. What I am reading: Sigh .. reading? a book?



4. Newest music I added to my playlist: I just added Second Chance by Shinedown



5. Movies I saw: Star Trek .. thank goodness for Noah .. he had to keep telling me what was going on .. I couldn't get into the past and future thing ...



6. Something Yummy: ..ahhh .. we specifically bought fudge from a great store in Greenville



7. The Last Place I ate out at: Noah, Alet and I went to the Black Frog .. in Greenville..



8. Something that made me cry: ahhh ... really? ..what about the latest recommendation to wear push up bras because the girls were hanging a little low .......? This recommendation came from none other than ..... Aletta. ... I love my daughter!



9. Something that made me laugh: the sight of the tall grass in the yard .. I need to mow the lawn!


10. Something that I look forward to in June: oh .. so much to do, to see, to explore .. to take pictures of ... and I still have to set my kayak in ...and then at the end of the month .. Texas



11. Something I am thankful for: the ability and opportunity of being here these last 7 months.



12. Something I want to remember this month: This was probably the most defining month in the last 6 months .. lots of up and downs .. laughs and tears .. realizations and recognitions ..



13. A photo I took this month: for our photography class I have been taking several ... but I realized our cat rarely makes it in ..

What a great weekend!

We had a crazy weekend .. now that the move to Texas is a few short weeks away, I have gone into over drive to ensure that I have all the experiences and pictures to last me until the next time we come back for a visit.

Being a long weekend, we would take advantage of that extra day off, and so we decided that going to the coast would be a great place to take pictures .. so off to Boothbay Harbor we went.

We had a great time .. we stopped and had lunch, and then decided to get ice cream. Standing there, waiting in line, I was doing what I love .. people watching, when suddenly I recognized a guy walking by .. I ran out of the ice cream shop .. my kids totally dismayed with the idea that I had just desserted the line we were in (no pun!), and started looking for what I knew would be a beautiful blonde lady.... and there she was! I yelled out "Kris?!?" .. low and behold ... friends of ours that we hadn't seen in 10 years ... They had come up from Massachusetts .. for the day to Boothbay Harbor .. our stars were in alignment ... it was so good to see them. We stood for 15 minutes trying to recapture all that lost time. It was soooo great to see them!

Surprise in Maine!

Last week I was honored and lucky enough to be able to see our neighbor from Texas as he was passing through on his way to Iraq for deployment. Maine has one of the best troop greeters program. See more about them on www.mainetroopgreeters.com . They are volunteers that will come to the airport to greet our troops as they leave the US or as they are coming home. It is so surreal to sit at the airport, and be part of the celebration when our troops enter the terminal .. almost like the commercial from Budweiser. I still got tears when I see that one!

Budweiser Commercial

It was so good to see him, at the same time it was strange to see my Texas neighbor in Maine! Memories are posted in the Oasis . Thank you  R and A for your sacrifice, I will be thinking of you.

Manic Monday

What do you do to make yourself feel better when you are sick?

hmm.. it takes a lot for me to concede to agree that I am sick! So when I am sick, I like to curl up on the couch with something warm to drink and just fade in and out of reality!!

What is the most amazing weather you've ever seen?

I think most recently it would be the weather in Texas .. often times the back of the house would be dark grey clouds and pouring rain, and then the front of the house would have blue sky and sunshine.

Although this weekend in Maine we had amazing snow falling .. I think we ended up with at least 18 inches! This morning riding to work everything looked so white and sparkly!

Do you listen to music or talk radio in the car?

Majority of the time I have FOX News in the background .. but on days that I feel a little more frisky, I like to crank up the tunes! Since I am not allowed to sing in the house anymore, "the inside of my vehicle is my stage" ... LOL!

Happy Monday!

Photo Hunt - Breakfast

Thanks to TNChick the photohunt theme is Breakfast!

Yahoo! .. breakfast is my favorite meal of the day .. it is so versatile! There are weekends that it could be pancakes .. blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes .. waffles with strawberry and cream ... eggs and bacon .. omelets, with mmmm feta, black olives and spinach .. or scrambled eggs with salsa .. (uhh, another story different day for that one!) ..almost every morning my ever growing son (he grew another inch since September, which puts him at 5ft8 now!) he asks for an egg sandwich .. bagel with egg, bacon and cheese .... I just LOVE breakfast! (of course a good cup of coffee goes without saying.) Of course not everyone in the family can agree on one particular combination, one wants chocolate chips in their pancakes, and the other wants blueberries .. HOWEVER .. Breakfast tacos is another story!

The whole family will agree on eating Breakfast Tacos: another Texas treat from neighbor A ... home made tortillas, scrabbled eggs .. cheese and bacon. Personally for myself I would do chorizo instead of bacon... yum, yum.

Being in Maine, we have searched high and low for fresh tortillas .. with no luck. Last week I was at the yellow smiley face store, and found whole wheat tortillas.. not the "raw" kind, but also not the generic "other" ready made tortillas .. so this morning we all decided to have breakfast tortillas .. YUM!! They came out pretty good, we decided that the tortillas were a "keeper" .. so PHEW!! we can have breakfast tortillas in Maine!!

Happy!

This week Carmi at Written Inc had the theme of happy for his Thematic Photographic.

Happy can be so much .. but the first thing that came to mind when I read about the theme is friendships. Almost every night Alet and her bf H come out and sit on the truck .. and just enjoy their time.

Don't we all just have those friendships .. where we can just sit and enjoy each other's company without words?

Last summer on the way to Maine, I was able to stop in DC and see my high school bf Julie .. many years have gone by and we still have the ability to know what the other is thinking without speaking.

Happy is life-long friendships.

Thursday 13

So ... changes are coming fast.. I decided for Thursday to do:


13 Things I will Miss About Texas



Papaya & Mangoes - I love fresh fruit ..growing up we ate so much fruit .. all the tropical good stuff, Papayas and mangoes are my favorite.

SUN - Mark the dermatologist had way too much fun with my skin!

RAIN - I love the sudden downpours ..(hated the tornado threats)

Taqueria - a great Mexican restaurant 1 mile from the house .. their breakfast tacos and shrimp & cilantro tacos ... (all made with WHITE flour tortillas = carbs!)

Running year round - not that I always took advantage ..but after all those white flour tortillas ..

Running at 5 am in the dark, to avoid the heat - Probably my most favorite time .. not so for getting up, but once outside and the feet are moving

Starbucks on every corner


Fresh tortillas - going to the grocery store and buying "raw" tortillas.. will Maine have them?

Wearing shorts 10 months out of the year - the only drawback: frequent shaving!

Papa Murphy's Cinnamon Wheel - Friday night pizza night ..

No pantyhose!! - see the drawback on wearing shorts

Brown rice sushi made by the Japanese Chef at the Commissary - He would make them fresh for you!!!

Seeing stars - Texas stars are everywhere!!

Fill In Friday ..

1. _Cooler weather, the feeling of Fall, (maybe more candy corn?)_ are some of the things I'm most looking forward to in October.
2. Sometimes I _contemplate what it would be like if I allowed my hair to go completely gray .. then I think of my mother who would probably disown me, considering she already thinks I have let "my skin go" .. I guess I am not ready to be a "natural beauty" yet!___.
3. _Never had I thought I would drive from Texas to Maine (and back), just me and the kids .. but we did and it was one of my best summers EVER_ and that's why there is a saying, "never say never"!
4. When I'm down, I hit the pavement either walking with the dogs, or running by myself__.
5. _Lately, in the truck__ is where you'll find me most often.
6. A rainy day is good for _wrapped in a blanket on the couch ..__.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to __wine, pizza and the debate_, tomorrow my plans include _maybe a run, a visit to Sam's Club___ and Sunday, I want to _relax_!

Photostory Friday - Thank you!

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Neighbor A bought me this as a thank you gift for watching her dog for a weekend. I just love it .. the more it sits on the counter, the more I appreciate it. Little does she know that her thank you gift will be a forever "thank you .." gift ...

The boot will remind me of Texas, The fact that it holds a bottle of wine will remind me of the wine times in Texas(neighbor A doesn't drink .. so she never partook [is that really a word??] in our little bit of fun!) It will remind me of so much more than just a "thank you gift" ... I am so grateful for the friendships I found in Texas .. those of A and T.

Photo hunt's Wild ..

Today we had Ike visit Texas ...WILD .. he was almost the size of Texas .. WILD how we had just had some gusts of 30-40mph, while in other parts of Texas they were experiencing 110 mph! WILD how strong mother nature's forces can be.

What is Missing Here?

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

So, Saturday night came .. I was completely out of wine .. I went to our local grocery store where they have this wonderful idea of "why buy 1 when you can buy 6 and save ...". All too familiar with this practice since it was something Tommie and I shared all the time when our husbands were out fighting the bad guys in the big sand box, far, far away .. (almost)every weekend she and I would split a six pack. (We weren't THAT bad! ... were we?!)

So what's missing in this picture? Not just a mere 3 bottles of BAREFOOT Pinot Grigio ... but a whole lot more ...

My sisters, SeaDog moments, Coffee mornings at the Bakery .. Maine ...

This week was a tough week ... I'll stop whining now .. and have a swig of red wine! (where's the chocolate??)

There is Beauty in Dead ...

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I know it is not Friday, but I still wanted to participate in PSF ..

Let me start by saying that I have been spoiled by the beauty of Maine. I took for granted the mountains and the lakes we have ... and when we went for our hikes in Acadia and Baxter State Park, or the paddling at Abol Bridge .. I didn't always stop and admire the beauty... NOT until I came here. (Although I did ALWAYS admire Mt. Katahdin .. which, btw, is my most favorite place to be ..)

We live in the middle of Texas .. not a lot of beauty .. however, as one of our affirmations at work states .. "there is beauty all around us, I will open the eyes of my soul and embrace it ..." ..so in my further quest to "love life .." I try very hard to find the beauty in the things we see around us. A couple of months ago we went on a hike during Spring break. I stopped to take pictures of the shrubbery around us, when my loving son said "Mom ... what are you taking a picture of?! Everything is DEAD!" .. Well, to try and keep a positive note with all the dead that surrounded us, I said "There is beauty in dead .." {click, click .. as the shutter kept going ..} "OMG" as he rolled his eyes (did I mention he is 14??) .. "it's all dead!" ... "yes,I know it is all dead .. there is character in dead ..." {click, click} ..... I am sure he had more facial contortions that I would want to be aware of .. my focus was in the 2.5 inch LCD screen .. probably safer that way!!

Last year, Central Texas had a lot of rain .. so much so that Stillhouse Hollow Lake suffered major flooding. (check out pictures of The Flood of 2007 ) Every Sunday (well .. almost every Sunday!) we try and take the dogs out for their run and their swim. We take them along a trail around the lake, and often times there are openings for them to jump into the water and swim around. Today I decided to take the camera, because each time we go I am always astounded by the amount of "dead" ...

Here is to beauty in dead! Happy Sunday!!

Italian night in Texas ..

You know summer is here when you cruise down our street and you can see kids on bikes, skate boards, scooters .. adults in chairs holding beverages. Okay .. so here in Texas our "summers" may start in April and last through September ... but truly we don't all come out until school vacation starts. This summer has been a little different ... one of our neighbors had wonderful insight to build an Oasis backyard .. AND share it with all of us! So, this weekend, the theme was Italian ... we all had to bring something Italian to eat ..
Plenty of food and plenty of fun ..

Volleyball is a must ..

and lounge chairs .. ahhh..

Plenty of food ...

And some maybe got carried away????

All in all .. a great day spent with wonderful neighbors, good food and tons of fun that lasted through the night! (T: you are missed!!!!!!)

Thank you R and A for yet another wonderful day in your Oasis backyard!

I discovered ...

Monday morning, 5 A.M. the alarm went off ... time for a run. We just got off of a vacation week, where getting up before 7:30 was unheard of (except for the SeaWorld day when Sgt. Dad made the "troops" get up at 6 A.M. so that we could be on the road for 7 and at the gates of SeaWorld at 10 .... tell that to teenagers who are taking full advantage of the fact that it is summer and they do not need to rise out of their beds before 11 A.M. .. THAT is another story for a different blog!!)
Okay .. so 5 am, run, go to work ... ah yes, it is Monday! Now that I am enduring my third summer in Texas, (okay .. I lied .. last summer I spent almost 11 weeks in Maine ~ one of my best summers EVER .. but that is another story for a different blog!)I have learnt that if you would like to run, then the best time to run is either at 5 A.M. or 9 P.M. when the sun is not hanging in the sky. Before we moved to Texas, and still living in Maine, I would run at 5:15 A.M. .. mostly because that was when I could get my run in .. .. and that was the main reason .. but here,
I discovered that running at 5 is simply just peaceful. It's just me, the road and the wind..
I discovered that in the dark no one can see me ... (they may hear me .. but they can't see me!)
I discovered that music sounds better in the dark, it energizes more in the dark .. it makes you want to sing and dance in the dark .... because NO ONE CAN SEE YOU! (hear you ... but NOT see you!!)
I have a full library of 70's and 80's songs thanks to my good friend Bob. There is no substitute to running to The Police .. ELO ..but today,
I discovered that Michael Jackson's PYT made Mile 3 feel like Mile 1 .. and that I could keep running ... (although I couldn't because work was calling me to get ready ... and further more, the sun would be rising shortly)....
soo .... what was supposed to be a dreary 3 mile run on Monday turned out to be a fabulous 4 mile jaunt...
A good friend said to me once "don't stop running ..." ... NEVER .. for me running is my peace and tranquility .. it is the one moment that I can just be.. today,
I discovered that I truly love to run.
I hope that I can be one of those 80 year old women, hobbling along, maybe not running a marathon, but certainly a fun run/walk 5k race!! (It's the free t-shirt I want too!)

Pointed

This was too much fun .. I have had my camera for almost two years, and am still learning how to use it. Texas' landscape is everything pointed!

Here is the REAL first!

So today I am finally inspired to actually POST a blog instead of letting it sit in my draft folder! Let me explain: I was introduced to the blog world by my friend and neighbor T. I have been reading her blogs for a little over a year .. it was fascinating and fun. Several times I had asked her to show me her wise ways .. and finally on Mother's day this year we gathered the laptops and presto! Rockstar was born on my own blog!

Yesterday, however, was the day that I had to say good bye to T. She and her family are moving .. on to another military post. What made it difficult is that she is the first out of our "three amigos" group to leave. Neighbor T and neighbor A were my support group because the three of us shared 15 months together while our husbands were deployed overseas. We arrived in Texas and in our new homes approximately the same time, the men left within weeks of each other ... one of the things that separated me from them, was the fact that it was my first year as a military wife and they were already 10+ yrs ahead of me! So, needless to say .. T was my wine drinking buddy .. both T and A showed me the "wise ways of military survival" ..they explained to me the military hierachy (of which I am still confused over!) .. I was introduced to Southern Living .. polish pottery .. and have even inherited a flying pig from the OWC Bazaar .. a place I would not have ventured to if it wasn't for them! So, here is to you, T ... thank you for your friendship .. your good cooking.. muffin mondays .. the wine ..who will I split HEB's six pack of wine with?!? Thank you for showing me your blog .. I look forward to your adventures in your new home!